From the Publisher

In this issue, we continue to cover protest by arts practitioners and the general outraged public, including music and lyrics from Les Misérables performed on the London and New York stages, and subsequently in street protests worldwide. Listen and watch the singing of “Do You Hear the People Sing?” by groups worldwide including British, American and Ukrainians lending their voices to bring attention to human rights abuses and nations waging war and devastation, using music to address those who destroy and annihilate, and to remind us, in the staging of Les Misérables, that this is not new or only current. We look at protests against Israel and Russia at the Venice Biennale, and the signature pink smoke in the air above the Giardini pavilions by Pussy Riot who never gives up.

We include contemporary musical protest by Black and Brown American musicians, especially rappers in an article written by Cam Goberman. I thank Cam for clueing me in. Nancy Nesvet, just back from the Venice Biennale assesses the aims of the late Curator of the Biennale, South African Koyo Kouoh and introduces the pavilions she saw with more to follow in later issues. Jorge Benitez reviews work by Canadian artist Gerald McEachern who shows his abstractions of borders, a contentious subject currently and especially, between the U.S. and Canada.

We explain AI, Artificial Intelligence, and look at arguments for its use to research, to aid investigations but concede that human emotion, the heart, is missing from production of AI. Rebecca Nesvet expertly breaks down the history and ramifications of AI, while Lanita Brooks-Colbert writes of the advantages and challenges of AI for artists and others. Richard Humann, beginning with the scenario in 2001: A Space Odyssey, documents how “the rise of AI brings with it great opportunities but also the possibility of great loss.” I write about the Biennale in Venice in this first of writings about it, with more to follow, noting that this biennale focuses on the human and the animal and natural world, away from the technological, restoring the humanity, love and care required by and practiced by all of us, for our beautiful earth, its people and other forms of life.

Whereas we at Art Lantern believe that Art is forwarded by people coming together to voice their opinions and views, as they do when protesting, rather than relying on the dry, unemotional, technological writing afforded by AI, we shall see if humanity survives this imposition of technology.

So read about our world, the art world, for good or bad, as artists express it all. Please also click the about button. At the end, you can subscribe. We ask nothing, but your reading and listening and watching videos in the issues, and if you like, use comments to let us know about upcoming events/exhibitions/performances in our art world so we can spread the word.

Thanks for reading.

Nancy